Safety razor



May 16, 1944. J. c. FLlcKlNGER SAFETY RAZOR Filed July 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll Tv ON 1V; A N\ mY IW. olo|o|o|olololqololbi|d ooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooo Ilo IPOP obboooblo PPO u N; P 1 s .Q m.\ h, l

Inventor JA/w55 [L /Nro/vj MKM/GEB,

A Homey May 15, 1944- J. c. FLlcKlNGER SAFETY RAZOR Filed July 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill ventor orne)y f l. x A Hmlwllll .l.-

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Patented May 16, 1944 SAFETY RAZOR .l ames Clinton Flickinger, Cleveland, Ohio, as-

soiliior of one-half to Frank J. Fuller, Cleveland,

Application `luly 14, 1941, Serial No. 402,398

9 Claims.

Mydnvention relates to improvements in safety razors of the so-called electric type.

The invention is designed with the particular object in view of providing a high-speed, rotary razor equipped with a substantially continuous cutting edge for shaving with a draw cut.

Another object is to provide a device of theA character and for the purpose above set forth which is strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture and service.

Further and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings- I,

Figure 1 is a view in bottom plan of my im-f5 proved safety razor in its preferred embodimentA Figure 2 is a view in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation,-

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section takenon the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 5 is a View in transverse section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4, I

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in bottom plan of a modified form of guard,

Figure i is a similar view of another modified form of guard, and

Figure B is a view of still anothermodication of the invention.

Reference being had to the drawings by numerals and first to Figures 1 to 5, in the preferred embodiment, my improved safety razor comprises an electricmotor represented at I of any suitable high-speed'type having an elongated outer casing 2 adapted to form a handle and which is designed for plug-in connection to a house circuit as by a plug-in line 3 leading from the rear end of the casing. A suitable motor-control switch 4 is provided to extend out of the casing 2. The

opposite, or front, end ofthe casing 2 is reduced,

as at 5, and provided with a further reduced externally threaded nipple 6 having a circular recess 1 in its outer end. The armature shaft 8 of the motor I extends through a longitudinal bore 9 in said front end of the casing 2 and is equipped with a driven graphite bearing unit including a collar IIJ fitting in the recess I and having a reduced part II extending therefrom out of said recess, and a threaded axial stud I2 extending forwardly of said part. An internally threaded cap sleeve i3 is turned onto the nipple 6, said sleeve having a counter-bore I4 adapted to flt over the part II. The sleeve ills knurled, as at I5, for grasping to turn the same on and off the nipple 6 and is provided with a reduced outer end I6 and a pair of radial studs I1 extending from diametrically opposite sides of said end I6.

A substantially tubular guard I8 having a closed front end I9 is provided to t at its rear end over the reduced end I6 of the sleeve I3 and to extend from thelatter, said guard being provided in its rear end with a, .pair of diametrically opposite bayonet slots 20 to accommodate the studs I'I and whereby the guard I8 is detachably attached to said sleeve. The guard I8 is provided with a bottom side 2l having formed there in longitudinally extending rows of small apertures 22 for the extension of hairs therethrough into the bore of the guard. Preferably the aper tures 22 in alternate rows are staggered relative to vthose in intermediate rows. T'he bore of the guard IB is of uniform diameter, but eccentric to thel outer circumference of the guard whereby the bottom side 2l of said guard is thinner than the remainder of the guard so that short hairs may extend into the guard through the apertures 22 when said bottom side is opposed to the area to be shaved. It may be stated, at this point, that the armature shaft 8 is arranged to align axially with the bore of said guards i8.

Threaded onto the stud I2 to extend concentrlcally, axially therefrom into the guard I8 concentrically of the bore of the latter is a rotary, hollow, cutter shaft 23, fitting, with the requisite clearance for rotation, in said bore and filling the same. The cutter shaft 23 is provided externally with reverse spiral grooves 24 and is designed to be rotated by the armature shaft 8 in one direction, for instance counter-clockwise as viewed in Figure 5, so that the edges of the grooves 24 coast with the inner edges of the apertures 22 to shear hairs extending through the latter and with a draw cut. Appropriate walls of the grooves 24 are undercut, as at 25, to form' sharp oppositely spiralling cutting edges for coaction with the inner edges of the apertures 22.

In the modified form of guard shown in Figure 6, longitudinal rows of triangular apertures 26 are provided in the guard 21 with sides 28 converging in the direction of rotation of the cutter shaft 23 in conformity with the pitch of the grooves 24, respectively, to facilitate obtaining a draw cut under rotation of said shaft.

In the modification shown in Figure 7, elongated rectangular slots 29 are provided in longitudinal rows in the guard 30 with parallel sides inclined lengthwise in each row and oppositely in alternate rows in accordance with the opposite pitch of the grooves 24 of the cutter shaft 23, said slots providing another alternative means for effecting a draw cut in conjunction with the cutter shaft,

In the modification shown in Figure 8, a motor 3| is provided for permanent attachment by a bracket 32 to a wall, or the like, and to operate a flexible drive shaft 33 adapted to be connected, as by a coupling 34, to a shaft, not shown, similar to shaft 8 and extending through a short handle 35 to which a guard 36 and cutter shaft, not shown, similar to shaft 23 may be connected in the manner already described with reference t the preferred embodiment of the invention. This form of the invention provides for connection of individually owned guards and cutter shafts to a common drive and is particularly designed for use in hotels, Pullman trains, and other public places.

'Ihe foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, since the operation thereof has-been set forth in connection with the description of parts.

Manifestly the invention is susceptible of modiflcation in other respects than as herein set forth, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such other modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is: I

1. In a safety razor, a handle, a motorA operated drive shaft extending out of said handle, a

cutter shaft attached to and extending axially l from said drive shaft and having `reversely spiralling circumferential grooves therein forming islands having cutting edges, anda tubular guard attached to said handle and fitting over said cutter shaft, said guard having a bottom side adapted to be opposed to the skin and provided with longitudinal rows of apertures therein to admit hair into the guard, said apertures forming cutting, edges for coaction with said cutting edges of the cutter shaft to effect a shearing cut under rotation of said cutter shaft.

2. In a safety razor, a. handle, a motor operated drive shaft extending out of said handle, a cutter shaft attached to and extending axially from said drive shaft and having reversely spiralling circumferential grooves therein forming islands having cutting edges, and a", tubular guard attached to said handle and fitting over said cutter shaft, said guard having a bottom side adapted to be opposed to the skin and provided with longitudinal rows of apertures therein to admit hair into the guard, said apertures forming cutting edges for coaction with said cutting edges of the cutter shaft to effect a shearing cut under rotation of said cutter shaft, said grooves having undercut side walls forming said cutting edges.

3. In a safety razor, a handle, a motor operated drive shaft extending out of said handle, a cutter shaft attached to and extending axially from said drive shaft and having reversely spiralling circumferential grooves therein forming islands having cutting edges, and a tubular guard attached to said handle and fitting over said cutter shaft, said guard having a bottom side adapted to be opposed to the skin and provided with longitudinal rows of apertures therein to admit hair into the guard, said apertures forming cutting edges for coaction with said cutting edges of the cutter shaft to effect a shearing' cut under rotation of said cutter shaft, said apertures having side walls inclined in substantial correspondence with the pitch of said grooves, respectively, to facilitate obtainingv a draw cut under rotation of said cutter shaft.

4. In a safety razor, a handle, a motor operated drive shaft extending out of said handle, a cutter shaft attached to and extending axially from said drive shaft and having reversely spiralling circumferential grooves therein forming islands having cutting edges, and a tubular guard attached to said handle and fitting over said cutter shaft, said guard having a bottom side adapted to be opposed to the skin and provided with longitudinal rows of apertures therein to admit hair into the guard, said apertures forming cutting edges for coaction with said cutting edges of the cutter shaft to effect a shearing cut under rotation of said cutter shaft, said apertures having side walls inclined in substantial correspondence with the pitch of said grooves, respectively, to facilitate obtaining a draw cut under rotation of said cutter shaft, the apertures in alternate rows being oppositely inclined relative to those in intermediate rows to provide rows of apertures inclining in correspondence with the reversely spiralling cutting edges, respectively.

5. In a safety razor for dry shaving, a rotor 'being plurally grooved peripherally in opposite directions to subdivide'its peripheral surface, a body having an edge and means to secure the body with its edge in Working relation to the periphery of the rotor.

6. In a safety razor for dry shaving, a rotor provided with a plurality of island-like elements on the periphery thereof, said island-like elements being circumferentially and longitudinally spaced *apart on said rotor and each provided with a tapered leading portion, and a member having an edge portion for coacting cutting relation with the tapered leading portions of said island-like elements.

7. In a, safety razor for dry shaving, a pair of coacting elements, one of said elements being a rotor grooved to define a multiplicity of independent island structures both longitudinally and circumferentially spaced apart on said elements, the other element being in working relation with respect to the other surfaces of said island structures, one of said elements being formed to define a cutting edge.

8. In a safety razor for dry shaving, element, a stationary a"rotary element, said rotary element being formed with a plurality of crossed' grooves defining island structures having angular- 

